Microsoft® Office 2010 Inside Out

Chapter 13. Charts and Data Analysis

Using Charts to Visualize Data

Turning Data into a Chart

Choosing the Right Chart Type

Linking Worksheet Data to Chart Elements

Advanced Chart Formatting Options

Highlighting Trends and Variations in Data

PICTURES tell stories. You can drone on and on and on about the meaning of statistics and the hidden patterns behind seemingly random measurements. Or you can turn a collection of data into an elegant, information-based graphic and let it do the talking. Using a well-designed chart, you can communicate a situation or a series of events in seconds, with only a few well-chosen words required.

Building a visually compelling, information-rich chart from a series of numbers and dates is part science, part art. The science ...